Uncertainties are inherent in communication systems and especially significant in satellite communication (SATCOM) systems where signal losses exist from all sources along the path of a SATCOM link, e.g., atmospheric attenuation, antenna depointing loss, and channel noise. To manage uncertainties in SATCOM, a common approach is to reserve a sufficient amount of link margin (LM) so that the receiver side signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is above the required level. For example, a SATCOM waveform with a probability that is larger than a desired (link availability) threshold, e.g., 99%. The problem is more challenging in transponded SATCOM systems where each SATCOM link consists of two segments, i.e., the uplink and the downlink; where multiple SATCOM links and interference are further coupled through the transponder. As a result, the transponded SATCOM link budget plan needs to account for uncertainties from losses in the uplink segment (power robbing effects in the transponder), as well as losses in the downlink segment, such that the overall transponded link SNR or CNR (carrier power to noise density ratio) meets the required threshold level with desired probabilities.
One approach to deal with uncertainties is that the SATCOM link margins can be reserved based on prior knowledge at fixed levels, e.g., 3 dB, regardless of the real-time radio frequency (RF) environment, which leads to energy waste and unused system capacity (multi-user case) in good conditioned (stable link losses with little variation) environments. Another approach, for non-Hopping SATCOM system, is that the SATCOM receiver can obtain link quality (SNR) measurements that can be used to dynamically adjust the terminal transmission power level and link margin.
In Frequency Hopping (FH) SATCOM systems, the basic approach for RF situation awareness is to obtain average SNR measurements over many hops, which provide a coarse estimation of overall SATCOM link qualities. However, more sophisticated per-Hop SNR estimation and information fusion can be used to provide detailed channel quality information, such as interference information in support of Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA) (including waveform selection and power control).
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide methods, systems and media for RF situation awareness using per-Hop measurements of SATCOM links in a FH SATCOM system to provide detailed SATCOM link quality information, and interference information.